1999 | Bill De Silva
In 1926, John De Silva started making race boats. His sons Ralph and Bill assumed the business in 1946 and built a 10'6" runabout. When the Stock racing division got started in 1947, their boat was perfect for the new A and B motors.
In the late 1940s and 1950s, most drivers in the C Service, PR, and 460 Runabout classes in California raced and won in De Silva boats. They became the dominant race boats from the 1960s through the 1980s, setting records and winning championships.
Ralph designed the boats, while Bill was the builder. Bill De Silva raced A and B Hydros and Runabouts in the early 1960s, but building race boats was more important to him than racing. Many people remember Bill De Silva with binoculars, watching every move of a boat, studying how it was handling. He would go back to the shop, modify the design, and build a faster and safer boat.
While Ralph was the more visible of the De Silva team, Bill kept the business on track. He contributed a great deal to the success of the De Silva boat and of Outboard racing.